These are elements of a career search that should be understood, and recognized for their importance. Many people get up in the morning and as they roll out of bed ask their selves, do I look forward to going to work today? For those of you who look forward to going to work every day and actually enjoy what you do for a living, and also make a good wage, I applaud you. For those of you who think you have what it takes to take your career to the next level, this will apply to you.
When we get to that point in our lives or careers where a change is needed, the first thing you might tell yourself is now it’s time to update my resume, oh what fun!, you might also ask yourself, how good is my resume? Have you updated it recently? What do I need to do to get it updated and add the right duties, responsibilities, and newly acquired skills? Do I need more training to get a better job, or to be promoted? Many questions to ponder.
Here are some tips to help you start the resume writing process:
The main job of a resume is to get you in front of a hiring authority. It’s important to make an immediate impact and grab the reader’s attention in 10 seconds or less, or your resume will be another one that they skim through with out giving it much consideration.
Ø Make a list of all the skills you have, and those you recently acquired from your current employer. Also do the same for previous employers.
Ø Ask yourself what you are good at, and where are your strengths and weaknesses.
Ø Limit or eliminate adding hobbies or personal items. They only take up valuable space on your resume.
Ø Note all of your accomplishments/achievements and what role you played in those successes. For example: Were you instrumental in saving the company money, increasing sales, developing a new product, finding a new and improved process etc.
Ø Don’t include the line: “References Furnished upon Request" It is implied, and if they need them, they will ask you for them.
Ø List you’re most recent employer first and the others in order by dates of employment going back to your first employer.
Ø Evaluate and determine whether you want to do the same thing you were doing before, or do you want to make a move to a management position? If you are positioning yourself for a management position, you will need to ask yourself if you have the proper training, experience, education, motivation and know-how to handle such a position. If you are looking to make a move to a new company with similar or slightly more responsibility or challenges then you will need to note some successes in your resume that will make you stand out from other candidates.
Ø How many pages should your resume be? If you can put what’s important and quantify your success on one page, that’s great. This doesn’t mean that if your resume is longer than one page it will be tossed or put aside. It only means that you will need to grab the reader’s attention on the first page where they will start reading it.
Here are some tips to help you in your job search:
Ø There are many possibilities and venues to look for open positions; online job boards, search firms, recruiters, referrals etc.
Ø You have to keep in mind that there are many other people looking at the same job boards, newspapers, calling the same search firms, for the job you are considering applying for as well. How do you find the jobs that are not advertised and have the best chance of being hired without so much competition? There are many, here are a few: Professional Networking, Friends, Former Colleagues, etc.
Ø In the case where you are applying to publicly posted positions, you will need to get contact names, phone numbers and e-mail address of the people who are posting these positions. You will want to make direct contact before and after you submit your resume to them just to get an inside look at what the position is about and to see if you are a good fit.
Ø Research the company before going in to interview with them. A lot can be found on the web.
Here are some tips to help you with job interviews:
Ø If it’s going to be a phone interview, dress professionally. Believe it or not, it will make you sound more confident on the phone.
Ø If you are meeting a prospective employer in person, make sure you get precise directions and arrive at least 15 minutes early in case you have to fill out an application, view a video, get checked in, etc.
Ø Always dress professionally with clean clothing. A suit with a clean shirt and tie is recommended. Also polish your dress shoes to a nice shine.
Ø Give the receptionist and secretary of the manager you will be meeting with a good impression by being polite, courteous, and friendly.
Ø Give a firm handshake when you greet the interviewer and make sure you smile.
Ø Ask questions about the company and the position. You don’t want any misunderstandings if you hired and find out that you will be doing something other than what was agreed to in your interview discussions. Remember to get an agreement or offer letter clearly stating your responsibilities, duties and expectations for the position.
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